It has entered my mind to formulate a list of books which have been meaningful to me, both in the pleasure they offer and also in the effect they had. These are books which stand above.
The Abolition of Man
And we come to our last entry. I was very sick when I discovered this book, too sick, I found, to read. I would sleep, for a few minutes, wake up, and then fall back to sleep. The nights were the worst, for then it was I could barely breathe. I had propped up a bunch of pillows under me to keep me upright, but in the night, when deeper sleep would finally come, Iād roll off of them only to wake up hacking and coughing. So, I filled the days and nights with distractions, mostly YouTube, and I happened upon an audiobook of my favorite author.
I was enthralled, and I listened to it again and again. I had to get a copy of the book and read it myself.
The book, a collection of three lectures, opens its first section by defining an interesting problem Lewis had noticed in education, a strange trend in the methods of teaching criticism: Wherever the critics wanted to debunk something, they appealed to a form of moral relativism, but uncritically would promote certain moral values without submitting said values to the same treatment. Lewis challenges this double standard, as well as pointing out that in these English textbooks, English had become a sort of host to sneak in an unconscious philosophy. He then, moving to the next section, considers this philosophy, ironing out the inconsistencies to expose its exact nature. In the third part, he finally explains why he thinks this a bad philosophy. It is a masterful work, wonderfully pertinent to anyone who suffered an education where subjects such as English or science were hollowed out to become vessels for subjectivism. Lewisā warnings seem to have gone unheeded.
And so, in reading it, I was educated as to the nature of my own education. One has to beware what even the best teachers teach you, and know what the fundamental premises are from which they are working. Here again, Lewisā brilliance isnāt exactly in what he says, but in how he allows the reader to see. Though I think he would condemn relativism, he doesnāt shake his fist and preach; instead, he reveals what is, working to keep his own opinions separate from reality.
For anyone who suffered a public education but is still able to think, this book beautifully clarifies what happened to you.
Tale Told 